No, it is not only glass on cement!

A few years on social media has taught me that al though there are many spawn “art” “artwork” “mosaics” or “stained glass” very little education is being brought about the history and even less value to the education, behind the tecnical information.
Lately i’ve been struggling like any other person that hand makes their art. But i struggle not becuse i don’t know how much is worth. Because we live in a society where education is under valued, and most people i meet are out for the fast buck.

I see many “technical videos” produced . Yes, video are great tool, and there are many things to learn from them, great tecniques. I have produced my own too. We don’t think there is more to be learned, that all we need, everything, could be learned through video. If that where true class rooms all over the world would be extinct by now. But it ain’t the truth, and we need a way to see trough it. Find the real from those that say they are.
Art studios, art schools schools in general aim to one thing, one thing only. Produce better equiped humans, so when we go out in to the world we can spawn a better product, art work. Even for those with an innate talent need guidace to rise above the crowd.
Class rooms is where you go an share with like minded people, each helping you grow in the way you need. We all learn at different levels depending on our mind set at the moment and what that mind set will allow us will allow us to comprehend from the information we receive.
To achive the high end, quality, structure of what we produce we have to be forged by a guide, there are no short cuts to learning in life. The same goes for art. One thing I am certain we can all use is, more education. Not only the technique are important to know. But education on how to value our selves and what we create.
Learn to see our work as professional or not. The only way to asses and build a value is;
A) Assessing our own personal value.
B) Assesing our work, our built in to life, passion. Learn to see it’s worth.

For that, We have to ask our selves, what do i want to create? What level of quality am i striving for?
Looking up to other that are producing, what you esteem valued only gives your work a reference point. Does not mean it it worthless.

Having said this. My blog is for every one, that want to collaborate in educating each other to produce a higher standar, Better work. As relative as that may sound, there are rules and parameters to achive it.

As i mention before, to determine those qualified to guide you not only would have the be autodidactic, that is a given, almost any chosen career will require that you keep learning on your own motivation. But will also require some degree of knowledged of the rules, and taking classes with some teacher or group.
How to hoyne in on the right teacher for you. Firts i need to ad a disclaimer,
Non of us are competing for the same market. Because while there are many of us, means there is a “need for”, “a market for”. Also our work our style, varies from each other.

I read the other day, of a mosaic enthusiast, that what we did was “just ad glass to cement”. These are the ones that need to be educated. Enthusiast that dont have a clue, what is in their hands.
Our art work is like a meme read, many of us it is a process that comes from many hours of learning, experimenting. Frustration trial and error. Many hours of applying that knowledge, or inventing. Striving to birth a work of art. And true it wont happer with each work we do, but some will be regarded as a good work of art. Trying to achive that recognition among our own view. The getting that recognition among others. Believe you are even if you are not there yet. I cant say if i have taken classes with the best, i have never paid attention to those detail in life. My brain was not wired like that.
But always felt like they were they show me to be the best me. To give attention to detail, composition and structure. I always chose to be original, because there is a river of energy in me that pushes me to stray from the everyone else doing this or that. Also i liketo have a clear conscience that my work is my own. And when is not i own to that fact.

I am looking for a collaborative of effervescent souls that want to exel, and be know for it. I would like shed light on the know hows, because some things change but knowledge remains the same.

Business 101, erradicate erroneous concepts. For example, You can become cheaper in price, and you will get more sales, well that is untrue. A consumerist society has led us to belive such conduct is true. The only one getting hurt is your self for devaluing your profession and those of your piers. In the long run once you have aquired the customer, they will move on unless you keep devaluing your worth. De valuing your proffesion
A) might mean you do not have the proper training for what you are teaching. So again… you are not doing your self a favor.
B) Your self worth, is low.

How to evaluate to determine the right mosaic or Stained Glass art teacher for you. 1.You should look in to their portfolio see if it is at your level of interest. 2. See if the classes offered by this teacher have a structure that will allow you to set growing goals for your self. 3. Offer the technique want to learn.

I belong to many groups all glass related. Ive seen awsome, great and good works but worry because they would benefit of knowledged to know what they actually have achive and how to value it. Many other have such desire to achive that that they will glue anything everywhere, but lack the training and most of the tecnical information on how to develop it in to something great.
This is where is would like to be. Helping to grow, other like my self. I mention this before, i know i don’t know it all. But between many we can achive to build it better. Create educated enthusiast, that if is only going on the walls of their private collection in their own homes can look at thier work and feel accomplished.

Other might just see what we do as slapping galss on to cement. That might be true, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would like that those that do look, see and underatand the effort, planning and hard work that goes in to a piece. It is our heart and souls.